Locals-only tickets for the upcoming Phish shows in Town Park this summer will go on sale at the Sheridan Opera House box office and Telluride Music at noon on Fri., April 2.

Anyone contemplating trying to score those tickets for scads of faraway friends or, gasp, resale, might want to give it some more thought, though. No paper tickets directly exchangeable for entry will be sold.

In an attempt to ensure that the 1,500 tickets per night being set aside for locals really do stay in the community, they will be available only on a “Will Call” basis and only to those who can demonstrate proof of local residence at the time of purchase, according to Telluride Bluegrass Festival’s Craig Ferguson, who is co-producing the August 9 and 10, 6:30 p.m. shows (doors at 5:30 p.m.) confirmed by the popular jam band earlier this week.

The celebrated jam band is coming back to Hampton Roads, but it's not playing Hampton Coliseum, a concert hall loved by both the group and its rabid fan base.

And, no, it's not playing the 20,000-capacity Virginia Beach Amphitheater, the region's largest live music venue.

Instead, Phish has opted to play Harbor Center in Portsmouth — also known as nTelos Pavilion — an amphitheater with a capacity of about 7,000.

Why the group picked nTelos is unclear, even to the guy who runs the place.

"I didn't ask why, but I'm thrilled," said Ken MacDonald, president of Integrated Management Group, which manages the riverside amphitheater. "I've had a long relationship with Phish ... I think it's fabulous."